1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to improvements in systems and methods for organizing search criteria matches, and, more particularly, to a new and improved system and method for defining and grouping search criteria matches on the basis of the relative emphasis or de-emphasis of such matches, for presentation to the user, wherein the search criteria matches are generated by processing search criteria established and submitted by a user through a search engine adapted to generate databases for the system.
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
A CD-R is included as the official copy of the computer program listing of the preferred form of source code consisting of over 300 lines of code, and is filed with and a part of this application and incorporated by reference herein.
2. Description of the Related Art
It has been known to provide an interactive environment for viewing, browsing, searching, finding, accessing, and obtaining content and/or information, through client-server networks including computers and the Internet. Such systems present information to a user where the user has varying degrees of interest in the information, which may or may not change based on context and/or time.
However, while desired information exists, it is hard to isolate, due to an ever expanding realm of human knowledge. For any given context, desired information may be lost in a huge body of irrelevant information. Searching this vast collection of knowledge is a significant problem.
Further, it has been known to provide currently available search mechanisms which enable the user to conduct searches. These technologies vary in capability ranging from being of little use to being highly effective.
For many users, however, these method and technologies do not provide satisfactory results. Their operation is cryptic and/or cumbersome, and therefore not easily implemented by many people.
On the one hand, fundamental user control over the search process is currently relatively simple but not very effective, in that the user may conduct a simple search but still be unable to find the desired information which may be lost in the unwanted information located, or may not be found at all. On the other hand, advanced control is successfully used by a very few, since its interface requires terse and cryptic syntax, unforgiving methodologies, and obscure nomenclature, as in boolean operators for example.
One of the most significant problems with this searching process is that although the user knows what he wants to find, expressing this desire to a search mechanism requires an unnatural exact syntax and terminology to generate desirable results. Search mechanisms presently do precisely what the user says, rather than what the user means. If search mechanisms were capable of interpreting the user input, including all contextual factors regarding the user and the query, they might be able to do what the user means, yielding much more satisfactory results.
Another aspect of user frustration regarding any search activity concerns not knowing what the system is doing. Pressing a button can still leave the user wondering whether the system understood the request. This type of frustration has a significant impact on the overall effectiveness of any system including a search system.
Indices are presently used by many search services. These attempt to organize information in a way that allows users to find what they are looking for with greater ease.
Search engines are also employed by many services. These allow the user to specify a search xe2x80x9cparameterxe2x80x9d. The search engine then interprets this parameter and presents the user with its results. These results are presented in an ordered list and, in some cases, are categorized in some fashion. Many times, however, the system will do what the user said, rather than to present what the user really wants. The system will show a large superset of possibilities, overwhelming the user with information overload. In such cases, the user must examine a list of results in order to find what is being looked for.
Search technologies are making advances presently in interpreting user input and seeking to derive true user intent. One approach involves the formation of question databases allowing the user to specify a question and obtain possible answers. Some technologies attempt to interpret queries using a variety of schemes to process user input. The presentation of output, however, is still restricted to lists. In addition, the scope of this technology is limited to the subjects contained within their respective databases.
Therefore, those concerned with the development and use of improved search criteria matches organizing systems and methods and the like have recognized the need for improved systems and methods for interpreting user input, deriving and applying user intent, and presenting output in an efficient and effective manner.
Accordingly, the present invention fulfills these needs by providing efficient and effective systems and methods for providing a responsive interactive environment that does not make assumptions regarding what the user desires. Rather, they leverage off of the familiar, and provide the user with an effective means for indicating what they really want through an intuitive refinement of the search query submission. The system enhances any information generated in a search by identifying, ranking, and/or sorting such information for the user. It controls the presentation of any collection of content and data based on results passed to it from its current sources in addition to user direction. The sources can be anything capable of providing data, including but not limited to search engines. Combining these techniques and applying them efficiently creates an effective method for finding information.
Briefly, and in general terms, the present invention provides a new and improved system and method for interactively applying a set of display rules that emphasizes and de-emphasizes in varying degrees any collection of content and information links, without disturbing the content, organization, functionality, or layout thereof. It enables the user to find, sort, access, and view a collection of content and information in an effective manner through the use of intuitive interactive control, display cues and enhancement, and persistent search methodologies.
By way of example, and not by way of limitation, the present invention provides a new and improved system for organizing search criteria match results, generated by processing search criteria established and submitted by a user through a search engine adapted to generate system databases, in an effective and efficient manner. It includes presentation cues to show relevancy, which are particularly effective when used with familiar content and layout presentation. It enables the layout to remain the same both before and after all queries, showing the results without disturbing the layout of the content. For a Web page search, the layout and functionality of the page displays unranked links in one way, and ranked links in a different way through style, color, and/or symbolic modification. The presentation may reflect the ranking of the link, while the location and functionality of all items on the page remains as before the results were applied.
The system and method are adapted to operate generally, for example, within a display environment wherein there are choices such as links presented to the user, and in particular within the framework of World Wide Web browsers and browser-like environments. They are further adapted to take ranking data associated with the choices or links presented to the user, and, while preserving the existing organization and graphical layout of the information, to display the choices or links in such a manner that the ranking of the choices is clearly conveyed to the user. The ranking data may come from any source, such as the output of a search engine. For example, such a search engine may generate a prioritized list by using a score assigned to the list of items, wherein the list includes ranked choice or link items. The system may modify selected display characteristics of the choice or link items, leaving all other characteristics of the display unchanged. The characteristics modified may include, for example, choice or link size, style, hue, luminescence, intensity, and animation. Such modifications may be applied to the choice or link background.
The system can accommodate and clearly communicate to the user the relevancy of each presented item with respect to any number of user-defined or pre-defined categories, through emphasis, de-emphasis, and designation. The system further enables effective and intuitive construction, modification, and application of boolean search arguments. It also includes controls that notify the user of its task progress to minimize frustration and enable the user to focus on the task at hand. The user is able to utilize a persistent search technique, which applies parameters constantly modifying the display of whatever the user chooses to view as the user views it.
More particularly, the present invention constitutes a system for organizing database matches generated by processing search criteria established and submitted by a user through a search engine adapted to generate databases for the system. The system is adapted to define and group search criteria match results on the basis of the relative emphasis or de-emphasis thereof for presentation to the user.
The system, in accordance with the invention, includes a context software module, for enabling the generating of a context database consisting of content, links, and layouts organized for presentation to the user, adapted to determine and specify the context database based on a current context and settings. The system further includes a criteria software module for enabling a comparison database to be generated, adapted to enable criteria to be submitted and modified, and to enable the user to input criteria for generating comparison database information.
The system also includes a results resolution software module for enabling a relationship to be established between a context database and a comparison database, without modifying the context as organized for presentation to the user. The system may further include an argument software module for enabling an argument consisting of an expression constructed for a specific purpose to be formed and submitted.
The system of the present invention may also include a display axis software module for generating axes for the display of search criteria matches responsive to the interaction of the results resolution software module with the display axes. A search axis comprises a distinct search submission. The system may still further include a control state software module for enabling the user to manipulate the system.
These and other elements, objects, and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of illustrative embodiments.